'Hoos History
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Jan. 13, 2004
By Raymond Robb
Doing what many thought impossible, the 1970-71 Virginia men’s basketball team defeated 2nd ranked South Carolina 50-49 at University Hall, handing the Gamecocks a third loss in the Atlantic Coast Conference and a second consecutive one-point defeat. Virginia won in dramatic fashion, as guard Barry Parkhill drained a jump shot in the final seconds to clinch the victory for the Cavaliers.
Virginia started the year strong with six straight wins, including a first ACC win over Duke in early December. Parkhill remembered the victory over the Blue Devils as “a huge win because it got people coming out to the games.” The Cavaliers also claimed a regular-season tournament championship in West Virginia before a loss to 20th ranked North Carolina. Despite falling to the Tar Heels, UVa was off to a good start.”Early in the season, we proved that Virginia could win and compete in the ACC,” Parkhill said.
Returning to University Hall in early January, the Cavaliers defeated Clemson 66-56 in the first of four straight home games, moving them into second place in the ACC standings with a record of 2-1. South Carolina entered the match-up with a conference record of 3-2, placing them third in the standings. After starting ACC play with three wins, the 2nd ranked Gamecocks suffered losses to North Carolina and Maryland coming into the game against the Cavaliers.
On game night, one of the largest paying crowds in Virginia basketball history enjoyed a close game from start to finish. “Nearly 9,400 people were packed in the aisles and along the concourse. When University Hall is full and loud, the atmosphere is great and there is nothing like it. Our crowds were and are the best,” Parkhill said.
Even though the Cavaliers had little time to prepare for South Carolina, Virginia planned to control the game from the outset. While running the offense at their normal pace the Cavaliers would periodically slow things down to control the ball. “The game plan was to shorten the game. Our strategy was to run up and down the court and then back out and run the clock,” said Parkhill.
The absence of the current ‘closely guarded’ rule, forbidding players to hold the ball for more than five seconds in the frontcourt while being defended, allowed Virginia’s players to execute their plan in the first half. South Carolina had difficulty dealing with the slowed tempo and simply played their normal man-to-man defense throughout the game. At the break the Cavaliers remained within striking distance, trailing the Gamecocks by just four points, 32-28.
Aided by a goaltending call, Virginia opened the second period with a 6-0 run and took a 34-32 lead. South Carolina responded to re-take the lead and held a 45-42 advantage with just under nine minutes remaining. The Cavaliers trailed 49-46 when South Carolina’s John Roche fouled Parkhill, sending him to the free throw line. Parkhill connected on both free throws to cut the deficit to one point. With time running out, the Gamecocks were called for a traveling violation, giving Virginia the ball and a chance to set up the final play.
With 56 seconds remaining, the Cavaliers held the ball as the clock ticked. At 18 seconds a timeout was called and Virginia’s head coach Bill Gibson told his team that Parkhill was to take the last shot. Jerry Reed of the Virginian-Pilot wrote, “The ball was to be passed around until approximately the nine-second mark, when Gibson would whistle-signaling the ball was to go to Parkhill, who in turn would shoot.”In recalling the play, Parkhill said, “Everyone else cleared out and I backed my man down to isolate him. Then I hit a 15- to 17-foot jump shot from just behind the right side of the foul line.”
South Carolina’s final attempt was off the mark and Virginia defeated the eventual Atlantic Coast Conference champions 50-49. Parkhill finished the game with a team-high 15 points, making five shots from the field and five of seven free throws. In speaking of the victory, Parkhill said, “It was great for the moment, but we had to prepare for our next game. I really didn’t realize it, but this was a very significant time in Virginia basketball history because of who we beat and what it meant to the program.”
After downing Clemson and the Gamecocks, Virginia defeated Wake Forest and Georgia Tech in the next two games. In seven days, the Cavaliers won four games at home, including three straight ACC contests. The victory over the Yellow Jackets enabled UVa to gain a first-ever ranking among the nation’s top-20 teams. Virginia finished the 1971 season with an overall record of 15-11 (6-8 in the ACC).
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